Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft capacity depends on sea state

Could the Queen Elizabeth class carry more than forty aircraft in wartime?

Potentially, but North Atlantic operations constrain the usable complement because aircraft need sheltered hangar space and protection from storms.

The complement that can be sheltered and maintained in rough North Atlantic conditions differs from the larger number possible in calmer waters. Royal Navy figures emphasize the aircraft that can fit inside the hangar and remain workable through severe weather. A Pacific deployment can make greater use of deck parking because storms impose a different constraint. The nominal air-group total is therefore not a universal maximum. Force-generation claims depend on the environment in which the carrier must actually operate.